Toy wheel



Patented Aug. 28,1323,

uurrsnsmrrs rari-:a trice.

oLIrroRn M, Wnfrnous, or naar HAMPTON, eormncrrour, assrerronrao oonenenn .MANUFACTURING comrnrrr; `or nns'r sintieron, comincrrour, A conroanaroN OF CONNECTICUT;

Tor WHEEL.

This invention relatesparticularly to and more `especially to `Wheels for toys oit i thetype commonly lrnownasrolling toys, It pertains `essentially toaWWheel" which it is possible to produce at` a minimum `of scrap Waste. `Such Wheels are used in Various rloW cost With a forms and designs `on toys, to simulatein appearance, i types of Wheels which are" used 1n ordinary lil tread portion, Which may be,.in some instances, covered with a resilient material in i simulation `of a pneumatictire. e

The main obliect, of the presentinvention,

is to provideguniformity in production atA a minimum cost and lossot scrap, and at the same time, produce a Wheel, of unusually at-` tractive appearance, Whicli may be made to simulate anyldesired `standard type oi Wheel suoli as are employed on trucks, pleasurerehicles, motor cycles and the like.

i lt is a further object to produce a Wheel from ai.comparatively` thin material which will haveeunusual strength-and durability and at the Sametime, afford production cfa great uniformity and accuracy,.both asfto the runningor tread portions kof the Wheels andthe centering 'or axle portions thereof.`

It has longbeenla practice inthe manufacture of `toys to use cast Wheels and diiiiculties have been `encountered ins'ecuring economical anduniiorm" production. `Small cast wheels are more oreless `fragile, brealr i easily under sharphlows, and Vibration, and i require numerous operations in manufacture to secure true `running Wheelsfwith smooth running treads.` For instance, withcast Wheels,- and in fact, with suoli formed Wheels as have been heretofore known to applicant, there `must be a truing up H operation toY/se-` cure smooth runnin y Diiliculties in assembly, which is anfimportant. actorof economical toy n1anuia-etur-` ing, are improved with the Wheel herein fdescribed, as when it comes from the dies, it is properly centered ,andtrued and requires no machining, `grinding` or tumbling. a a

la contradistinction to this,` the cast type must he tr'ued up,` and centered, andeven machined'or reamed, to giye a proper iittor the axle, and ground orturned, astofthe periph-` cliaracter of pendingapplications.. i

larged scale, through `the junction of eral edge,.toigive alpro'per tread.` llheusual` custom is to `tun'ibleuWheels `to `remove the` sharp spruesand rough edges. i The Wheels peripheral edges, `for the tread,1nust opening. a a

The Wheel `hereinafter disclosed is `centercd'; its tread portionis smoothandeven i running; fand it' requires `no machining or other operations to maken perfect uniform Wheel, when 1t comes from `the herein disclosed maybe made exceptionally v and characteristicallyattractive by "deforming fthe material thereof` under dies, which rigidity tothe, Wheel structure.` i

:The inventionot' the; present application illustrates and describes a Wheel somewhat. similar to those of coi-pending` applicatins,

Serial`Nos.-566,90l,.iled June 8, 1922, and

deformation; insures` greater strength rand `SGfLAiT` filed Septembere, 1923, which `applications have since intoPatents 1,497,659,1`dated June 10,1924

and `1,495,1"i0, dated May` 20, "1924, and `applications oiiconcurrent date,.although the present invention embodies `"iinproveniente not Y illustrated, described or `claimed in said coa `Refei'rintguto tliefdrawings: i

`The finish and appearance of the.. Wheel matured i respectively i `Figure1,lillustrates the finished Figure. 2 is sa `section fon" `the `line `2"--2 ot Figure. l.

f VFgure 3, illustratesa' section of tellde portion completely rolled, anden an enlarged scale. a

smaller offsets than that `lot.

also on an enlarged scale. .i i A"Figure 5, illustrates a narroWlelloe `inf coinparisonwvith Figs. `l -to aiinclusive.

between spoke and` elloe sections.

. Figure 6, showsa modified fastening meansl `one `orm,"the dotted outline illustratinguthe i ioo i Figure 7, is sectional "View, on an enplates the use otra sheetotmaterial havingq sufficient `ductility to permit hlanking, shapl ing, curling and deforming, and yet ofsullicient strength to provide a composite structure of great rigi ty. i

In carrying `out theV invention, a disc 1s first blanked out of sheet materialand upon Vsubmission to the action .of suitable dies, its

peripheral edge is offset, drawn or curled up to provide the required and desired form of tread or running surface. The blanked disc, so formed, is then deformed as `toportions of its surface and pierced togive a central opening for the axle, `which opening is, Vet

course, truly concentric with `the curled or oiset peripheral edge or felloe.

-A hlanking operation, which cuts out the spoke sections, is next employed, and this operation provides the spokes with huh scction and the deformedor stiifening portions et' Sthehlank for strengthening the spokes. 'lheoperatienjust referred to produces from ay single diskot metal the central hub and l spoke "section et the wheel and the peripheral felloe section. The central blanked out por' tion is then placed 1n the remaining peripheralsection and ythefendsofthe spokes scrap, and reunited with the felloe portion.

i HThis method of productionV gives great latitude in design and finish as the spoke and hub sections `maybe treatedto giveany desired colored effect, independent o the color effect which is produced for the tire sections.

Referring to the drawings, numeral 1, indicates the disc, `first stam ed froma sheet of `imiterial and illustrate in its full size i by the dotted outline 2,0f Fig. `l. 1

The peripheral edge of the disc 2, is curled Q `or osetto form the felloe 3, Figure 2, illusedge of the disc.

trating a U-shapcd drawing ofthis rim while Figure 3, shows the rim curled into acircular form. `Figure 4, shows a more sharply delined angularoflset It will be obvious that the formation `of therim section may be ofa design and Vcharacter to meet the exi encies'o any particular requirement. Broad-fiat tires may be secured,of annular like form, or tubularlke treads may be produced, as illustratedin Figure 3, or the lshorterflat tread of Figure 4, may be secured, alli dependent upon the form of the die for producing deformation and drawing of the metal at the peripheral Itwill be apparent `from the dotted line of .Figure 1. the` spoke and hub section of" the wheel isblanked out of the disc'and the only theshaded portions of Figure 1. 1

The spokes 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, may have any desired'form, dependent upon the shape of the ,(les, but it is preferred to form them with as at E, F, G, and H. The ends ofthe spokes nmy then be secured to the flange 11, of the inline. bvany suitable means,preferably by spot welding, although it is quite apparent that the parts could be pierced and riveted, if desired. Spot welding, however, obviates any liability of throwing the parts out 0f true. i

As they come from the dies in `perfect form, cut with rest accuracy `they may be readily spot we dedwithout destroying the accuracy, and `this operation `gives `what is, in eliect, `a completed wheel'of homogeneous material. i

i In Fig. 5,the flange 11, of Fig. 1, has been cut away, except as to small portions `12, to provide ameans of attachment for the ends of the spokes `which are, of course, spot welded. This form of device very much reduces the inside and outside diameters of Vthe `felice and effect a great saving in material where the felloe or rim portion of the wheel is coveredwith a resilient material. For instance,there is a great savino' where a cord or chenille is wound about the `ielloe portion, as indieatedat 20, Fig. 1, to give a soft running treadand the appearance of a pneumatic tire.

In Figs.-6 and 7, in place of spot welding lloss in metal in scrap, is that indicated by the partsfa somewhatdeeper cut into the iscfected prior tothe curling of the edge of the disc. i

The blanked outhub and spoke section of yspider like vform is then revolved approximately 45", and the curling dies `form the ends of the spokes into the recesses of the curled edge of the felloe` This is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7where the spoke ends 13,14, etc., are cutout of the disc 15, and then turned to a point approximately at 16, where they are curled-and forced, along with the felloe portion, into a U shape, the felloe portion 17 ,having a greater peripheral area than that lof the` U-shaped spoke end 18, which is forced thereinto.

This forni 'ofthe device gives `a very substantial wheel and does notv require spot Welding or riveting to unite the spoke section and the felice section.

In any of the forms of wheels described,

\ or which it is desired to make, the spoke se@ tion, as it is punched or blanked out, nay loe embossed or deformed as at X, to give added stillness to the` spider like spoke section..

rlhis embossing may, of course, take any desired form, of a more or less artistic character and its effect, mechanically, is always the saine, nainelythat of stillening up the spider like spoke section.

The salue result of stfl'enirie' is attained `by ollsetting, curling or rolling up the metal oi the `felloe portion to provide the tread or tire, l

It is quite obvious that various inodifcations and the exact forni of stamping,T may be made Within the scope of the invention, with` "out departing from the spirit, or intent there blanled out, as described, Will produce a very In any case, a comparatively thin material may be used which, when deformed` and attractiveness.

deformed peripheral` edge providing af smooth running section or tread `and having interiorly thereof," a comparatively long'` flange oi uniform shapethroughout, anda spiderlike spoke section blanked out ci' the disc and `reunitedtothe harigeV the ends of i the spokes overlapping the Harige at points other than those ironr blanked out. i

V 2. A Wheelfor toys formed from a disk of metal consistingl cfa `felloe section having a deformed peripheral edge providing a smooth running section or tread and having lnter-lorly thereof, alange, and a spider like spoke section hlanked outof the disc, the ends 40 i which they. `Were oi thespolres or' said section overlapping and being Welded to the flange.

CLIFFORD ivrfwirrrioes, 

